Railway-tie.



J. 0; BEOKHAM.

RAILWAY TIE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 1, 1912.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

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JAMES OLLIE BECKHAM, OF HENDERSON, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JAMES HARVEY BRIDGERS, OF HENDER$ON, NORTH CAROLINA.

RAILWAY-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1913.

Application filed August 1, 1912. Serial No. 712,747.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMEs OLLIE Bron- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Henderson, in the county of Vance and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

. This invention relates to improvements in metal railway ties.

One object of the invention is to provide a tie of this character which is reinforced at the points of the greatest strain thereby providing a strong, durable and eflicient tie.

Another object is to provide a railway tie having extended rail supports whereby the rails are firmly supported for a considerable distance beyond the sides of the ties thereby requiring a less number of ties in a given space and resulting in a material reduction in the cost of constructing the railroad.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a side view of my improved tie showing the rails thereon in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof; Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section of the same, taken on the line M of Fig. 2; Fig. 5'is a similar View taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 denotes the body of my improved tie, said body being of I beam shape or provided on its upper and lower edges with laterally projecting flanges 2. In the bottom of the tie is formed a longitudinally disposed recess 3 which terminates a short distance from the ends of the tie whereby when the latter is laid the ballast or earth on which the tie rests will enter the recess and thus effectually holdthe tie against longitudinal or lateral slipping.

The central portion or web of the tie is increased in thickness to substantially the Width of the flanges 2 below the points where the rails engage the tie as shown at i. The widened or thickened portions of the web are cored or hollowed out from the bottom of the tie to a point near the top thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The web of the rail is further reinforced between the thickened parts 4; by inclined or V-shaped ribs 5 formed on the opposite sides of the webs and extending from the bottom to the top flange thereof as shown;

The ties at the upper ends of the thickened parts 4: are extended for considerable distances on opposite sides of the upper flange of the tie to form rail supporting plates 6, said plates being flush on their upper sides with the top of the upper flange of which they are practically a continuation. The projecting ends of the rail supporting plates 6 are braced by integral reinforcing lugs or projections 7 formed on the outer side of the thickened part-s at of the tie and the lower sides of the extended rail supporting members or plates 6. As shown the lugs or projections 7 of the tapering parts 4 not only reinforce the supporting plates 6, but when embedded into the ground assist, together with longitudinally disposed recesses 3 in the tie and V-shaped ribs 5, to prevent movement of the tie. In the opposite ends of the plates 6 at diametrically opposite points are bolt holes 8 adapted to receive fastening bolts 9 which are also engaged with bolt holes in the flanges of the rails whereby the latter are firmly fastened to the ties.

By providing the extended rail supporting plates or members 6 the rails will be firmly supported for a considerable distance beyond each side of the ties thereby requiring a much less number of ties to support the rails than is required with the usual form of tie. In thus reducing the number of ties it will be readily seen that the cost of laying and maintaining the railway is greatly reduced. i

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, pro-portion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to Without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

A railway tie comprising a body portion having laterally extending oppositely disposed rail supporting plates, said body having thickened portions to form reinforcements and a longitudinally disposed recess formed in its lower surface and terminating a short distance from the opposite ends of the tie, projections forming a part of the thickened port-ions opposite the earth receiving space therein, and ribs projecting from 5 its entire structure and properly held against 20 displacement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. v

JAMES OLLIE BECKHAM.

Witnesses:

VALTER H. EDWARDS, JAMES H. BRIDGERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

